Young doe-eyed maidens cast bewitching glances in the moonlight. Birds frolic, flowers bloom in a riotous kaleidoscope and the shifting seasons bear witness to the amorous games of lovers. And through this boisterous celebration of beauty and bounty, timeless wisdom is dispensed through brief, colourful vignettes.
In Three Hundred Verses, Bhartrihari, one of the greatest Sanskrit poets of all time, brilliantly expounds on our most enduring concerns and dilemmas: living, loving and leaving. Although composed centuries ago, these poems amply display the full force of his genius. Bursting with lush imagery and brimming with deep philosophical musings, these verses covering a wide range of themes that resonate even today—from the sensuous stirrings of passionate love to poignant reflections on life’s inherent transience; from notions of wealth and wickedness to the nature of fate and fortitude.
By turns playful and wise, A.N.D. Haksar’s gorgeous and accessible translation captures the verve, acuity and erotic charge of Bhartrihari’s most significant work.

Book Pages : 350
ISBN139780670090068

Bhartrihari Translated by A.N.D. Haksar

BHARTRIHARI is regarded as one of the foremost poets in Sanskrit. His poetry is frequently quoted in ancient anthologies and lauded in old commentaries. Although very little is known about his life and origins, scholarly consensus places him roughly around CE 450–500. The best known collection of his verse is the Shataka Trayam (published in Penguin Classics as Three Hundred Verses: Musings on Life, Love and Renunciation).
ADITYA NARAYAN DHAIRYASHEEL HAKSAR is a well-known translator of Sanskrit classics. A long-time career diplomat, he served as the Indian high commissioner in Kenya and the Seychelles, minister in the United States and ambassador in Portugal and Yugoslavia. His translations from the Sanskrit include Hitopadeśa, Simhāsana Dvātrimśika, Subhāshitāvali, Kama Sutra, The Courtesan’s Keeper, The Seduction of Shiva, Suleiman Charitra and Raghuvamsam, all published as Penguin Classics.